Initiation of stabilized detonations by projectiles

A high-speed projectile in combustible gas can initiate and stabilize a detonation wave under suitable conditions [1]. In this paper, numerical simulations of projectile induced detonation waves are presented. Using a one-step irreversible reaction model, the transition from shock-induced combustion to stabilized oblique detonation is observed via numerical simulations. An analysis of this transition by means of the critical decay-rate model, which considers a balance between energy-release due to reaction, and quenching due to shock-curvature, is presented.